Golf apparatus



Sept 30, 1924,

11,510,239 0. B. MONOSMlTH GOLF APPARATUS Filed March 17. 1923 ,3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Q1 8 P i as 11 n 1 r'i'f Flafi' INVENTOE' ATTORNEY Sept. 30 1924. 153M239 o. B. MONOSMITH GOLF APPARATUS Filed March 17. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE. H'T'GR OLNEY Mawoswrrn Sept. 30', 1924; 11,5]W,239

o. B. MONOSMITH GOLF APPARATUS Filed March 17. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,w M m I -10 Fre1.".5'

INVENTOK OLHEY B. Henosnrm.

HTT 0K Patented Sept, 30, 1924.

PATENT FFllfifio OLN'EY B. MONOSMITH, OF LOBAIN, 0M0.

GOLF APZPARATUS.

Application filed March 17, 1923. Serial Ito. 625,729.

7'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLNEY B. Mono- SMITH, a citizen of the United States, resident of Lorain, county of Lorain, and State of Ohio, have invented new and'useful Improvements in Golf Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle,-so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to golf apparatus and particularly to means of this character designed for indoor golf practice to the end that the different putting strokes may. be perfected. It is intended that the apparatus shall be utilized with the regulation outdoor golf putter and golf ball. The apparatus is coordinated to form a competitive game in which individual scores are kept similar to those which obtain in the outdoor game. The apparatus is designed to allow for the practice of the different kinds of putting strokes that are used on the outdoor greens and these strokes parallel the outdoor game in that each play depends upon what has resulted from the preceding play. The first play is designed to provide practice for the long approach put of the outdoor game which requires a very firm stroke and the manner in which the second stroke is necessarily played depends upon the accuracy and results of the first stroke and so on until the ball is holed. Penalty for poor play or misfortune results as naturally and quite parallel in its effects to the same incidents of the outdoor game, and the results of a game, viz, the average competitive scores of a set of players, quite closely approach the relative scores of the same players in their outdoor game.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means constituting, however, but one of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied. I

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration, representing a plan view of the playing course; V

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a target block which is the objective of the first stroke;

Figure 3 is a plan view of said block;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of Figure 7 represents a bottom plan of a golf cup or hole forming part of said apparatus;

Figure 8 represents a central vertical section of said cup; and

Figures 9 and 10 represent an out-ofdoors use of said cup.

Referring which the same ordinals represent, respectively, the same elements in the several views, I indicate by the ordinal 1 a foundation upon which the golfcourse utilized with my improved apparatus may be laid, the same being preferably a domestic rug of standard size, for instance, 9 feet x 12 feet. Adjacent three corners of this rug are positioned three elements of my golf apparatus, as plainly shown in Figure l, a tee 2, a target block 3 and a cup 4. In line with the cup 4 and a point 25 about six inches forwardly of the block 3, and approximately centrally of the rug 1, I locate a hazard 5, the preferable shape of the same being shown in Figure 5. out of line with any two of the preceding elements and upon the body of the rug 1 somewhere within the general quarter of the rug containing the cup 4 and hazard 5, I locate a bunker 6, Figure 6, designed to parallel a sand trap or other means denoting misfortune for a player upon an outside course. I have shown, for purposes of illustration, this bunker .6 located about centrally of the two side edges of the course 1 and about equidistant from the cup- 4 and hazard 5.

I shall now describe in detail the various elements which have heretofore been generally mentioned. -The tee 2 consists only I in an area marked off in any practicable manner, such as by chalk lines, from which the first stroke is made, the location of the same being preferably adjacent one corner of the course land the dimensions being i preferably 2 feet x 2% feet. I wish to be understood as prescribing considerable latitude to these dimensions, as well as all other dimensions herein mentioned, those vwhich I refer to bein I having demonstrate merely illustrative, to my satisfaction that the same are of relative practicable to the annexed drawings, in

size for a satisfactory game upon the course? 1 standard size golf ball. Formed in the block 3 is a transverse cylindrical hole 7, Figure 4, intersecting a vertical cylindrical bore 8, a cylindrical bar 9 being mounted to reciprocate within the hole 7 and normally being actuated b the spring 10 into the position plainly s iown in Flgure 3 so that a head or target 11, formed upon the protruding end of the bar 9, is presented to form a resilient target for the ball 12 as it is driven from the tee 2 by' the initial putting sbot. The target 11 reciprocates within a recess 13 formed in the front face of the block 3 so that the front face of the target 11 lies flush with the front face of the block 3 when the target is properly hit and driven back against the tension-of the sprin 10. In order that there may be no diflicu ty in accurately gauging whether or not such a hit has been made, I prefer to provide a striker 14 pivotally mounted upon a support 15 secured to the block 3, as plainly shown in Figure 4, said striker having an enlarged flat portion 16 at one end, upon one face of which the spring 10 is mounted and against the other face of which the reciprocating bar 9 abuts. The strik ing movementof the member 14 will ring the bell 17. The member 9 is preferably a 4-inch cylindrical rod and the same preferably slides within a cylindrical tube 18 secured within the hole 7 As plainly shown in Figure 5, the hazard 5 is preferably in the form of a truncated cone, the top surface '19, however, having preferably a slightly dished formation, the diameter of the base 20 of the cone being approximately 12% inches, the diameter of the dished top surface 19 being approximately 4% inches and the distance from'the base 20 to the center of the top surface 19 being approximately 1 inch. The bunker 6 is preferably of cone formation, the base being approximately 10 inches in diameter and the height approximately -inch; The cup 4 is an inverted cone, as plainly shown in-Figuresi7 and 8, the height being approximately inches and the diameter 5% inches. This inverted cone 4 is mounted upon a tubular base 21 of approximately 1 inches heighth and having a diameter of approximately 2 inches. Preferably, the upper part of this base 21 is heavily weighted as indicated by the layer of lead 22.

Generally, the object of the ame is to traverse the course above-described from the putting station 2 to the cup 4 via f the target 3 and the top surface 19 of the hazard 5 in as few strokes as possible, avoiding, if'possible, the bunker 6. The height and inverted inclination of the cup 4 are such as to retain the ball 12 securely, Figure 8, whenever the same intersects the under surface of the inverted cone 4 unless the contact of the ball with this under surface is so slight as to correspond to a condition known as rimming the hole in outdoor golf, when the ball 12 will be diverted from the cup 4 and the holing of the ball will not have been attained by that stroke. When the game is played upon a rug 1, the heavily welghted tubular base 21 of the cup 4 sinks somewhat into the rug 1, Figure 8, so as to provide somewhat more satisfactory and efficient results in holing the ball under the cup 4. It is preferable to have the layer of lead 22 spaced somewhat from the bottom of the base 21 in order that the base may be tubular and thus settle satisfactorily into the rug. It is evident that different sets of rules might be provided for traversin the course, as above-described, nine or eighteen times, to complete a game, the formation and arrangement of the apparatus, in any event, givin the practice, competition and scoring, anifiogous to outside golf, which I have above mentioned. In order that the use of the apparatus may better be understood as well as the motioning of its several elements and the coordination of the same, I shall now describe the playing of a game by a set of rules which are merely illustrative of many possible sets of rules by which a game may be played and the desiredresults above-mentioned obtained.

A firm, accurate stroke from the tee 2 will cause the ball 12, if it does not hit the target 11, to hit some other part of the block 3 and rebound onto or across the tee 2. If the ball 12 hits the target 11 fairly squarely, the resilient mounting of the bar 9 will cause the ball to be dumped somewhat into the position 25, Figure 1, which is in line with the upper surface 19 of the hazard 5, and the cup 4. In this later event, according to the illustrative rules which I am explaining, the player scores 1 and upon his next play, attempts to stroke the ball 12 from the position 25 across the surface 19 toward. or into the cup 4. In the event that he succeeds in driving the ball across the surface 19 and under the inverted cone 4 upon this second stroke, he has made the hole in 2. It is possible to hit the target 11 on the stroke from the tee 2 so peculiarly as'to cause the ball to rebound at an angle across the surface 19 and under the cup 4 and thus score. .1. for the hole. In the event that the player does not cross the surface 19 upon stroking from the position 25,

he must then continue his strokes until he does cross the surface 19 and then thereafter enter the cup 4. It will be noticed that the cup 4 is near one corner of the rug so that it is easily possible to mim or rim the cup and roll off the rug out of bounds. In this event, when shooting for the cup 4, he scores 3 for this one stroke and is considered to have made the hole. In the event that the ball oes out of bounds upon any other stroke, the player adds an additional 1 to his score and plays his next stroke from the spot where the ball went out of bounds.

Assuming now that upon the first stroke from the tee 2, the player hit the block 3 and did not strike the target 11 and the ball 12 did not return to or across the tee 2, the player scores 2 for this stroke and then plays from the tee 2 over, the surface -19 of the hazard 5, this, of course, in addition to the chance of not-making the hazard, subjecting the player to the risk of bringing the bunker 6 between the lay of the ball,

' for instance, position 26, and the final objective, viz, the cup 4. The various complications that may arise due to failure to cross the surface 19 for several strokes and to the obstruction of the bunker 6, can readily be imagined. In the event that the player does rebound from the block 3 across the tee 2 upon his first stroke from the latter, he has a second chance to play this stroke and, in the event that he again misses the target 11, and yet hits the block 3 and does not rebound to or across the tee 2, he scores 3 to cover the two attempts and plays the surface 19 from the tee 2. In the event that he does hit the target 11 upon this second attempt, then the ball being dumped back into a position upon the rug, probably approximately the position 25, he scores 1 for the two attempts and plays the surface 19 from this position 25. The same rule applies if there is a third tee stroke and the same hits the target 11. If, upon the second attempt from the tee 2 the ball rebounds back to or across the latter, after hitting the block 3 without hittin the target 11, the player makes a thir attempt from the tee 2 to hit the target 11. If, in this case and for the third time he hits the block 3 and misses the target 11 and yet rebounds back to or across the tee 2, he scores 3 for the three attempts and plays for the hazard surface 19 from the tee 2. If, however, upon this third play, he does not rebound to or across the tee 2, he scores 4 for the three attempts and plays the hazard surface 19 from the tee 2. In the event that a hopping ball results from the tee stroke so that the ball jumps the block 3, or if the block 3 is missed entirely, the same scoring and subsequent stroke will apply as if this stroke had hit the block 3 and had not returned to or across the tee 2. The

same rules apply ifthe ball fails to reach the block 3. Although a fair hit will result in dumping the ball approximately in the position 25, in line for a straight play over the hazard surface 19 toward the cu 4, of course, hits upon the target 11 whlch are not fairly square, or slices or hooks, will result in the ball rebounding to positions not so advantageous for play across the hazard surface 19 and toward the cup 4, for instance position 27, Figure 1. In this event the player scores 1 and plays the surface 19 from this position 27. If the slice or hook is so acute as to cause the ball 12, after hitting the target 11, to roll off of the rug 1, the player scores 1 and plays the next stroke from the tee 2 in an attempt to cross the hazard surface 19. In the event that the playerrings the bell 17 and the ball drops dead too close to the target 11 to allow the subsequent stroke, the player is allowed without penalty to move the ball back in the line of play from the tee2 the length of the putter head and then plays the hazard 5 from the new position. It is necessary, no matter what the result of the tee stroke may have been, to cross the hazard surface 19 and until this is done, the player is not entitled to play for the cup 4. He continues to play the hazard surface 19 from whatever position his ball may be in until he has crossed this surface and he is then entitled to play for the cup 4. The players score to the cup position is recorded and then the operation repeated as many times as it is desired for the particular game involved,

preferably, of course, some multiple of nine.

It will be noted that the height of the rim of the inverted cone 4 is 1% inches and the height of the base 21 is 1 inches. Between these limits lie the diameters of various sizes of standard golf balls so that the use of the cup or hole 4 is flexible for the diiferent sizes of balls. Furthermore, in order that a lighter cup 4 may be used, the same is preferably hollow, as shown, and also has no upperor plane surface corresponding to what would be the base if the cone were not inverted. For outdoors use of the cup 4, the base 21 is removed and the inverted cone 4 staked to the ground 28 by a pin 29 driven into the ground, as illustratedin Figure 9. This hollow cup, for indoors use, is formed with a hole 23 for a flag standard 24,as illustrated in Figure For outdoors use the cup 4 may be staked by driving the pin 29 through this hole 23.

What I claim is:

1. In golf apparatus, the combination with means forming a substantially rectangular playing surface; of a tee arranged .thereon; a block formed with a target presented to said tee, said target providlng a dumping rebound of the ball and the balance of said block providing a vigorous rebound of the ball, said block and said tee adjacent one end of the playing surface, a cup adjacent the opposite end of the playin surface, and a hazard positioned intermedlate said block and cup.

2. In golf apparatus, the combination with means formin a substantially rectan gular playing sur ace, of a tee arranged thereon, a block formed with a target presented to said tee, said target provlding a dumping rebound of the ball and the balance of said block providing a vigorous rebound of the ball, said block and said tee being adjacent one end of the playing surface, a hazard and a cup substantially in line with said target, said cup being positioned on said playing surface substantially diagonally opposite said target, and said hazard being positioned about centrally. between said target and cup.

3. In golf apparatus, the combination with means forming a substantially rectangular playing surface; of a tee arranged adacent one corner thereof, a block formed with a tar et presented to said tee, said taret provi g a dumping rebound of the all and the balance of said block providing a vigorous rebound of the ball, said block and said tee'being adjacent one end of the playing surface a cup adjacent a corner of the playing surface substantially diagonally 0 posite said block, a hazard positioneda ut centrally between said target and cup.

and a bunker positioned substantially centrally of the two sides of the playing surface andabout equidistant from said hazard and en 4. In go lf apparatus, a block member formed with a horizontal longitudinal hole, one face of said block member being formed with a shallow cylindrical recess whose diameter is substantially the height of the block member, said hole intersecting said recess, and a spring-mounted rod in said hole having a limited reciprocable movethe under surface of the cone,

6. In golf apparatus, a cup consisting of I a substantially rigid inverted cone member formed with a support, the rim height of the cone and the height of the support above the playing surface slightly more than compreendin the spread in sizes between standard go f balls, so that the latter may be trapped between the playing surface and when properly putted into that area.

7. In golf a paratus, a cup consisting of a tubular weig ted base portion, and a con- 1ca1 portion mounted upon its apexupon said base portion and extended outwardly and upwardly from the latter, the rim height of said conical portion and the height of said base above the playing surface slightly more than comprehending the spread in sizes between'standard golf balls, so that the latter may be trapped between the playing surface and the under surface of the cone, when properly putted into that area. v

8. In golf apparatus, a cup consisting of a tubular weighted base portion, and a conical portion-mounted upon its apex upon said base portion and extended outwardly and upwardly from the latter, said conical portion being hollow and having an open top or plane surface, the rim heighth of said conical ortion and the height of said base above t e laying surface slightly more than compre ending the spread in sizes between standard golf balls, so that the latter may be trap ed between the playing surface and the und pro erly putted into that area. igned by me this 7th day of March, 1923.

OLNEY B. MONOSMITH.

er surface of the cone, when 

